Justin C. Strayhorn, Esq.
Attorney Justin C. Strayhorn is an associate at SWMW Law. Before joining the firm, Justin worked as a plaintiff’s personal injury attorney, civil defense attorney, and as a prosecutor in both St. Louis City and St. Louis County, where he tried several jury trials to completion. The variety of roles he has held throughout his career have greatly influenced his decision to transition to asbestos litigation, a position he hopes will allow him to help more people on a larger scale.
Outside of his work with the firm, Justin has proven himself to also be a leader in the legal community. He has presented several CLEs on “Closing Arguments” for the Young Lawyers Division of the Missouri Bar from 2022-2024 and is an active member of the Mound City Bar Association and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis (BAMSL).
Justin’s leadership in the legal community is mirrored by his leadership in the community. He is an active member of his church, West Side Missionary Baptist Church, and of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated, both of which host and lead service projects throughout the year. He is also a member of the Centennial Plaza Housing Board of Directors, a group that leads the charitable arm of Centennial Plaza Baptist Church and provides housing and advocacy for low-income senior citizens.
Jittaun believes in the power of humanity to shape a just and equitable society. Challenged by The Berkeley Institute—her high school—motto, Respice Finem, (to keep the end in view) and her alma mater Tennessee State University’s charge to, “Enter to learn. Go forth to serve,” she remains committed to doing the work necessary to manifest her belief.
A graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law where she served on the executive board of the BLSA chapter, was a National BLSA Frederick Douglass Moot Court Competitor, and received the Everett Hullverson Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy, Jittaun has long understood the importance of maintaining a commitment to excellence. After graduating law school, she practiced for several years at a local firm, before entering into private practice, and later working at two American Law 100 firms where she was integral to building their diversity, equity and inclusion function.
Jittaun currently serves on the Board of Directors for Cultural Leadership; served on the Executive Board of the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals; volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for children; and volunteers with the St. Louis Art Fair.
Marsha Griggs
Marsha Griggs is an associate professor at Saint Louis University of Law. She is the president of the Association of Academic Support Educators (AASE) and the past chair of the AALS Section on Academic Support. Professor Griggs is an impactful scholar whose publications address regulatory licensing and the legal profession. Her recent article Outsourcing Self-Regulation is published in the Washington and Lee Law Review. Her other works Building a Better Bar Exam, An Epic Fail, and Race, Rules, and Disregarded Reality are published in the Texas A&M Law Review, the Howard Law Journal, and the Ohio State Law Journal.
Professor Griggs is also a member of the Collaboratory for Legal Education and Licensing for Practice, where she lends her voice to the national conversation about attorney licensure through her scholarship, experience, and advocacy. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and Notre Dame Law School. She is admitted to practice in Colorado and Texas and in 2014 she was inducted into the Texas Jury Verdicts Hall of Fame.
Kenneth Goins
Kenneth D. Goins, Esq is a proud Father of 4 children (3 girls and 1 boy) and works as an attorney in the General Counsel's Office for the Metropolitan St Louis where he practices in in the areas of employment law, general litigation, contracts, finance and real estate. Ken is a Director at Protecting American Families an organization that educates and advocates for family law and criminal reform and promoting and providing family centered programming. Ken is on the Board at his Church The Righteous Branch.
The Honorable Anne-Marie Clarke
The Hon. Anne-Marie Clarke (retired) Retired as Commissioner of the 22nd Circuit Court, Juvenile Division on March 31, 2019 after serving 33 years. She is a past chair of the Judicial Council Division of the National Bar Association. She is currently serving on the Board of Governors of the National Bar Association as Member-at-Large. She is a past President of the Mound City Bar and currently serves as Chair of the Centennial Celebration Committee.
Monique D. Abby, Esq.
Monique D. Abby is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, growing up in St. Louis County. She is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC wherein she received her B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Business. Ms. Abby is also a graduate of Saint Louis University School of Law wherein she received her J.D. She is currently an Assistant Circuit Attorney in the City of St. Louis, a former Public Defender, former Municipal Judge, former Municipal Prosecutor, and she previously ran a successful private law firm, Abby Law Firm, LLC for several years. Ms. Abby has dedicated her legal career to advocating for and providing fair and equal legal services to all.
Ms. Abby is heavily involved in various organizations in the Greater St. Louis area and serves on several Boards which include being the Board of Governor for the Eastern District of Missouri of The Missouri Bar, President-Elect of the Women Lawyers' Association of Greater St. Louis, Special Events Chair and Past President of the Mound City Bar Association, Parliamentarian of the National Council of Negro Women-Greater Metropolitan Section, Social Committee Chair of the Howard Alumni Club-St. Louis, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated-St. Louis Alumnae Chapter, and a member of the St. Louis County Bar Association. Additionally, Ms. Abby is a mentor with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri, a mentor to students interested in becoming attorneys and also dedicates her time to various community projects.
Thomas K. Neill
Tom practices with the firm of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., focusing on personal injury and consumer class actions. He has been a member of MCBA since 2015 and served as Chair of the Election Committee in 2020. Tom has served in a number of roles for the Bar over the years, including the Joint Commission on Women in the Profession. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Lawyers Association of St. Louis from 2009 to 2018, serving as President in 2014-2015. In 2017, he was elected to the Appellate Judicial Commission for a six-year term, after previously serving on the 22nd Circuit Judicial Commission. Tom has received a number of recognitions for his work, including the St. Louis County Bar Association's Roy F. Essen Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, Missouri Lawyers Weekly's Appellate Advocacy Award, and the Best Lawyers in America award for Mass Torts Litigation/Class Action - Plaintiffs. Tom is a lifelong resident of the City of St. Louis, except for the seven years he attended the University of Missouri-Columbia for undergrad and law school. He is married to Sara Neill, also an attorney, and they have two kids.